


one more pine (or five)

by momentofclarity



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Cat Sitting...?, Conversation with a cat, Fluff, Friends to Maybe Something, House Sitting, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2019-08-24
Packaged: 2020-09-24 15:11:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20360605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/momentofclarity/pseuds/momentofclarity
Summary: Louis is pining. Harry's cat is a good listener.





	one more pine (or five)

**Author's Note:**

> HAPPY BIRTHDAY LISA! here's a short little story that hopefully contains a few of your favorite things. you are such a lovely friend and constant inspiration. thanks for being the best, love you ❤ hope you like it!
> 
> thanks nic for betaing ❤
> 
> thanks tabs for the title, i'm just not that good with puns ❤

Louis unlocks the door with the spare key Harry left him three days ago before leaving to go on a work trip. He’s been here every day since and it still feels weird to enter Harry’s flat without him there.

Everything looks the same—shoes and handbags all over the hallway, a lonely teacup in the sink—but it’s so quiet. Without Harry’s honking laughter and nonstop drawl about his favorite music or a book he just read, the flat seems almost eerie. 

The blinds shut, the fridge buzzing quitely. 

Well, when he says quiet—something crashes in the bedroom and Louis hurries to kick off his shoes to go check for potential damage. 

“Pine?” he says as he pushes the bedroom door open. 

In the corner of the bedroom he spots her—big and white with dark and ginger spots all over her back. She’s licking her paw and looks at him with large green eyes, the shade nearly identical to that of her owner’s. The way she stares at him with aloof disinterest is a look Harry would struggle to pull off though. 

“What happened?” he asks the cat and his eyes dart over to the other side of the room where a flower pot has crashed to the floor. Soil and cracked clay spread out over the floorboards in a chaotic pattern. 

“Pine!” Louis throws a glance over at the cat again and now she’s stopped licking her paw and is just sitting there, looking at him as if to urge him to deal with the mess. 

“I’ll take care of it, you little rascal,” Louis rolls his eyes and squats down, hand reaching out towards the cat. “Should just get you out of here so you don’t cut yourself.”

After a moment, she walks over to him, the act of cool indifference now exchanged for a head butt against his hand and a small “Euurf.”

“Good kitty,” Louis coos, can’t really help the way he always falls helplessly for her charm. 

She really is too similar to Harry. 

He picks her up despite her size, and takes her out into the kitchen. She observes him from the counter as he fills up her food bowl and gets her fresh water. “So what have you been doing today, huh? Besides crashing flower pots?” 

He gets the shovel from the supply closet and a paper bag from beneath the sink. “Been napping? Having a good cuddle in bed while you miss your papa? I bet you have.” 

She lets out a loud meow in answer, and he gives her a quick scratch under the chin before heading to the bedroom to clean up. 

\---

Post bedroom clean up and emptying the litter box, Louis has worked up a light sweat. He washes his hands and then heads for the fridge. Harry left him a pack of beer and some of his favorite snacks as a thank you for watching his flat, and Louis’ belly still flutters a little at the thought. Even after three days.

He grabs a beer and heads into the living room, falling down on the sofa and closing his eyes for a moment, chilled can pressed against his cheek.

Three days. 

It’s not uncommon for more time than that to pass between him and Harry seeing each other, but when he’s so far away three days feel like an eternity. The thing is of course that he  _ always  _ misses Harry, every moment he’s not nearby. 

Or maybe that’s not the full truth either, because he can recall that feeling making itself known even when Harry is right there. Like phantom pain. 

When his dimples dip so deep and his eyes sparkle, when his whole body trembles with laughter and he has seemingly lost control of his long limbs, that’s when Louis usually feels that ache deep in his bones. 

The feeling is more often than not followed by a shadow of guilt, because what right does he have to miss someone who is right there? Who is he to look at Harry at his happiest and feel a sting of sorrow at the sight? It’s ridiculous, it’s petty and it’s not at all who he wants to be. 

He sighs and right as he’s about to open his eyes, the sofa cushion dips beside him and he’s joined by Pine. “Hey love.”

She makes soft little noises at him and knocks her head against his arm until he lifts it out of the way. “You want a cuddle?” 

The cat answers him by promptly stepping on top of him, her big soft body trying to balance on his thighs before she’s able to settle her paws on the front of his red hoodie. Then she starts pawing, claws digging into the fabric as purrs erupt from somewhere deep inside.

“I bet you do, I miss him too,” Louis says miserably and cradles her face in his hands, fingers scratching behind her ears. “Miss his stupid face and his stupid voice and his stupid jokes.” 

Those green eyes look at him then, and Louis tears up because apparently he  _ is  _ the most pathetic man ever known. 

“God, he’s just… you know what it’s like when he looks at you and you feel like you’re the only person in the world? Or I guess cat would be more appropriate in your case, but still.” 

Pine has apparently decided her kneading is done by then and she settles down on his chest, front paws reaching up to rest against his collarbones. He drags his fingers over the thick fur on her back and she closes her eyes, purrs still vibrating into Louis’ chest. 

“He looks at you like that, but you know that’s not what  _ he _ feels because he’s like that with everyone, right? So stupidly fucking sincere and lovely.”

“Rrrmmf,” Pine lets out as she lays her tiny little chin down on his chest and Louis feels his throat grow tight.

“Fuck, I’m ridiculous,” he chuckles and wipes at the corner of his eye with the sleeve of his jumper. “I’m just so tired, you know. I miss him so much, all the time and I don’t even really have the right to. Like… you’re his cat, you know? You’re allowed to miss having him to cuddle up to every night, to miss seeing him first thing in the morning when his eyes are swollen and his cheeks all pink and…” Louis lets out a deep sigh. “He’s the loveliest thing in the world, and he doesn’t even know it.”

The cat wiggles her bum a little to make herself even more comfortable and she’s really so cute Louis can’t help smiling. “You think we should send your papa a picture, huh? Show him what a great time we’re having without him.”

Slowly as to not disrupt Pine, Louis pulls his phone out of his back pocket and opens the camera app. He looks tired and a bit ruffled, but it’s not like it  _ really  _ matters. 

It’s not like Harry will notice or care either way.

He angles the phone so that he gets both Pine and himself in the frame and puts two fingers up in greeting. 

“There we go, at least one of us is adorable,” he mumbles as he opens up his messages to send the picture without scrutinizing it further. 

_ greeting from your sofa! _

“He’s probably in a meeting or something, Mr. Important Business Trip,” Louis ponders and drops the phone on the cushion to pat the cat again. 

He’s only just found a particularly good scratching spot as the phone beeps twice in a row. Louis was done fooling himself a long time ago, so he eagerly picks it up without trying to act cool. 

** _please stay right in that spot until I get home tomorrow_ ** ** _   
_ ** ** _both of you_ **

His heart starts racing without his permission and his belly flutters. He knows Harry doesn’t mean anything by it, but it’s still impossible to resist smiling. 

_ why would we when we’ve got a whole flat at our dispense? a stocked up kitchen and a comfy bed and all :))) _

The next message takes a little longer to arrive, the three dots popping back and forth on Louis’ screen as if Harry can’t make up his mind about the answer.

** _I wouldn’t be opposed to finding you in my bed either_ **

Louis’ heart practically jumps out of his chest as he reads the words over and over. Harry  _ is  _ known to sometimes be unknowingly suggestive, but  _ surely _ he understands how strange that is to say to a mate? 

Another message shows up just seconds later.

** _Sorry, that was weird. I just miss you Lou. I miss you._ **

Louis stares at the screen, bottom lip tucked between his teeth. He takes a deep breath and taps out the next message.

_ i miss you too. and just fyi if you’re serious, i wouldn’t be opposed either _

He closes his eyes and tries to ignore his burning cheeks. He feels dizzy, like the world is tilting and his whole chest is rattling like a wild bird locked inside a too small cage. 

** _I’m always serious about you._ **

Louis looks down at the cat who has cuddled her forehead down into his sweater, seemingly happy to stay right there for a good nap. 

“What is that supposed to even mean!?”

Pine is startled by his shrill voice and looks up at him with a deadpan stare. Louis swears she’s trying to tell him that the answer is obvious, but he’s not sure he should put that much trust into a look from a cat.

Or maybe that’s exactly what he should do. 

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed this! (especially if you're name is lisa) ❤


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